A Dragon In The Backseat
by In2lalaland
Summary: Wufei is fed up with the music world and all the shallow people running it. Then when he meets a talkative cabdriver who hates his music, his life just might reach a new chapter. 2x5 AU.
1. Chapter 1

(To certain people and the people who never read the author notes)

Ok, _PLEASE READ_. This is a part of my fanfiction _CLICHÈ_ project, meaning that the plot has been used by an endless amount of people, in endless amount of different fandoms. I did not come up with the basic plot and I very much doubt that the author you accused me of stealing from came up with it in the first place.

Thank you.

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Fanfiction cliché – The star and the nobody

This cliché has been done so many times. One character is a superstar, the other character has been living under a rock and has never even heard of the other.

I can think of three fictions where Duo and Wufei play out this specific cliché in different ways. So how could I even think about trying to write another one when there already are so many of them? Simple, all those fictions have one thing in common and I'm going to turn it around.

I'm going to make Wufei the star.

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A Dragon In The Backseat.

1/3

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Wufei had just about enough of all this bullshit. He just wanted to break his newly won award against the head of the falsely smiling hostess standing next to him.

"I would also like to thank my producer and all the people at Whitefang records for all their help." 'You cheep, worthless letches.' Wufei thought as his fake smile got even tenser. "Thank you everyone." He lifted the statue high over his head to the sound of the audience's loud cheers.

He forced himself to walk down from the stage in calm, controlled steps with a charming smile stretched over his face. He shook hands with dozens of happy people on his way back to his seat; people he knew wouldn't give a damn about him if he weren't as successful as he was. He smiled and nodded like a mechanical doll, hating every second of it. He managed to make it back to his seat where he was greeted happily by all his "friends." The cameras were still filming him and Wufei faked modesty, not to mention happiness, as he sat down. He had known that he was going to win. All the other contestants were horrible, computer modified singers who couldn't create a nursery rhyme fitting for a two year old.

The rest of the award show went horribly slow. The supermodel, who's name he could hardly remember, was clinging to his arm the whole way through, on the off chance that a camera would come their way. It was all he could do not to shove her off.

His manager had insisted that he could not show up at the award show without a date, especially not after his 'breakup' with the Oscar winning actress Relena Peacecraft. That Relena was just a friend who kept him company every now and then wasn't the point, and they were both sick of trying to tell the truth. And since she started dating Quatre Winner, the finance buff, they couldn't really hang out like they used to. Not without the headlines screaming about infidelity.

As the show ended and everyone got out of their seats, he quickly got up before the rest of his company had time to follow him. He easily managed to lose them in the crowed. Feeling pleased with himself, he hurried as fast as he could towards the exit. Women in sparkling dresses proved to be one of the biggest holdbacks, both because you had to be careful so that you wouldn't step on the dresses and because a lot of them tried to talk to him. Women loved his songs and weren't late to tell him so, often while licking their lips and showing off a bit too much cleavage.

It was a curse to be in the closet, especially at a time like this. As the seventh barely dressed woman stepped in his way, he was tempted to snap 'I like cock' just to get away. Instead he, as politely as he could, sidestepped her and managed to reach the exit. He swept past the journalists lining the red carpets both sides. He had talked to them on the way in; he felt no need to put himself through that nightmare again.

He spotted his limo, and unfortunately, his waving manager, further away and he hurried over. He had no idea how the man managed to get out there before he did, but the man had more contacts then God, that much he knew. In the corner of his eye he noticed that Heero and the rest of his bodyguards had appeared from thin air to shield him from the mass of screaming people.

He nodded gratefully to Trowa, his silent but effective driver, turned bodyguard who also doubled as his assistant. Trowa held the door open for him. He climbed in and the car door closed behind him with a satisfying slam, shutting out all the sound from outside.

Sinking down in his seat, Wufei bit back a sigh when he noticed the excited look on his manager's face. It could only mean bad things for him. And to see the other man looking like Christmas had come early, while he was feeling like he had one foot in his grave was not promising.

His manager was a constantly smiling man in his late thirties. He was one of those people who followed fashion magazines like it was the new Bible, always spotless, always with his hair combed back like a shiny blond helmet. "That was great!" The man exclaimed and Wufei felt a headache coming along. "Now, just make sure to stay in the media's focus for a couple of months. This party is going to be our ticket into the papers for weeks to come, after that we just need you to attend a few charity events, maybe sing at a few smaller shows to tell everyone that you are still one of the people. We can't let your fans think that the fame is getting to your head."

Wufei stared. "You told me that I didn't have to go to the party."

His manager looked sheepish. "Well I didn't expect you to win. Not when Danny Crawford was nominated."

Wufei snorted as he carelessly dropped the statue on the empty seat next to him. "I don't see how winning makes any difference, Marty."

"It makes all the difference." The man protested as he fished a silver comb out of his suit jacket, combing his already sleeked hair. "We have to stay in the front and rub elbows with all the big stars while we can. We are going to need all the connections we can get for the next record."

Wufei was too tired to point out that his latest album had just been released and he didn't have the will or material for another record. Not to mention that he already were one of the 'big stars.' But he assumed that his manager was talking about the new stars, people on their way up, not one that was closing in on the horrifying age of thirty. It was pretty obvious that his manager didn't think he was going to stay on top for much longer and that he was looking for a new star to cling to.

Wufei sighed and leaned his head against the cool glass as the other man kept talking. He knew he had talent, he knew people liked his songs and he knew people paid to hear them. So why did his manager always make him feel like he was on the edge of falling back down from the charts?

He glanced over at the statue lying next to him. It was a pretty large thing. A naked, anorexic woman with far too big breasts for the rest of her body was holding up an oval crystal over her head. She seemed to leer at him. He turned away to look out the window. The world was dark with endless rows of streetlights passing them. It reminded him of the camera flashes that he had just left behind and he closed his eyes to escape them. In the background, his manager was still talking like a repeating record and Wufei did his best to tune him out. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to get back to his hotel, maybe make himself a cup of coffee and just relax. Unfortunately, Marty knew what he was talking about. Wufei was just going to have to do as he was told.

He grunted in disinterest as Marty complained about the lack of females in the car. He was quite happy about that fact and had worked hard to accomplish it. That Marty had forgotten about the bimbos was a bit of a surprise and Wufei was grateful to Trowa for driving them off as soon as he got in the car. The last thing he needed right now was some wannabe super model clinging to his arm.

Wufei thumped his head softly against the glass. He really did not want to go to the party. He had been to far too many of them to even think that it was going to be anything but fake and boring.

Everyone was so scared of offending someone who they might want to work with in the future that no one ever said what they really wanted to say. People had been blacklisted in the music industry for lesser things than a drunken insult.

Maybe he should hang around the rappers; they might be rude and loud but at least they insulted you to your face. Or insulted him in their songs, they seemed to like that lately.

Wufei tensed up as the limousine started to slow to a stop. Outside his window was another long, seemingly endless red carpet, which led up towards the huge modern building where the award show's afterparty was going to take place.

He could see Trowa walking towards his door through the tinted window and he made himself ready. Checking his hair, straightening his clothes, making sure that he didn't have anything stuck in his teeth.

"Wait! Don't forget your award." Marty hissed.

Wufei grimaced. "Do I really have to carry it around?"

"Yes! We need to make sure that people know you won and-" He got cut off as Trowa elegantly swung the door open. Wufei put on his best fake smile as he reluctantly picked up the statue.

The cameras flashed and the desperate voices of reporters washed over him. The focus on him was ridiculous. He actually wished that he hadn't been so quick to get rid of his date. She would have been perfect right now. It was amazing what a pair of silicone beasts could do to a straight man's attention and Wufei really wanted something to distract people away from him.

That was the set back with being one of the bigger stars, there was rarely another celebrity around that could outshine him in the public's eye.

He waved with a charming smile, making the female fans scream like they were dying in happiness. There had been a time when he liked that sound, but as much else, it got old very quickly.

The red carpet felt impossibly long, lying like a large, flat snake. It swung from right to left, covered on both sides with excited people with hunger burning in their eyes. Instincts told him to stick close to the middle where none of the predators could reach him, but he knew he couldn't.

This was something he had to do and he forced himself to stay and do a couple of quick interviews. If he got a reputation of being an uncaring bastard, then his career would be in danger. One of the biggest reasons why he had made it this far wasn't that he wrote beautiful, intelligent songs or that he was a really good singer, it was Marty and his knowledge of how to manipulate the media. So like a well-trained super star, he lied through his teeth about how much this award meant to him and how grateful he was to the jury and his fans. Then, with another smile and a wave that made the fans scream, Wufei escaped in through the open doors of the huge, glamorous looking building.

The party was held in a huge dome shaped hall where the chandeliers were shining as brightly as the white teeth of the superstars. The room was already filled with famous, beautiful people all dressed to their very best.

Trowa must have taken the long way there to give him a chance to breathe, Wufei concluded. He had been one of the first to leave the award show and since so many of the people who had been there had made it to the party before him he saw no other explanation. Well, either that or Marty wanted him to arrive now. No matter the reason, Wufei was still grateful. The less time he had to spend there, the happier he was.

As he started walking around, he noticed that he wasn't the only one carrying the heavy golden statue around. It was easy to see who had one from all the people flocking around them. The whole thing felt like a deranged schoolyard. If you had a statue, you were in and if you didn't you had to suck up to the people who did.

As expected, it didn't take long before a herd of people started surrounding Wufei as well, wanting to shake his hand, to exchange gossip and to try to talk him into singing duets with some minor celebrity.

He did his best to look interested even if he couldn't care less. It all felt old and predictable.

As he spoke to a barely legal reality show participator, who seemed more than a little star stuck simply by being in his presence, he remembered how it was to be where she was now. How impressive and inspiring it was to walk around among all the big stars, which he until then, only had seen on television. How huge it felt and how lucky he considered himself to be. Now, he was one of those stars and all he could feel was that he was bored and wanted to go back to the hotel so that he could read his book or watch some television.

He blinked in surprise as a platinum blond model pushed her way through the crowd in front of him, trying to get his attention by more or less shoving her breasts up in his face. Wufei wasn't all that impressed but he had to give her point for insistence. She caught on to the conversation, making herself a part of it at the same time as she managed to make eye contact with him on several occasions. If it weren't for the fact that she lacked certain parts of the equipment he wanted, Wufei would have taken the offer that was so obviously beingpresented to him. Without trying to encourage her too much, Wufei flirted back. More out of boredom then anything else, but what were you supposed to do when you were in the closet? It wasn't like he could turn to his right and start flirting with her very attractive male colleague. Well he could, but he would not like the consequences of it. So in the end, he just made the best of the situation.

Then the model that had accompanied him to the show, Dani-somethingorother arrived, latching on to his arm. She smiled charmingly while insulting the other model, who was quickto retaliate. Wufei bit back a sigh. At least Marty would be happy, because this argument was most likely going to be the big rumor of the week. Two famous, beautiful models was fighting over him, what more could anyone want?

'Some peace and quiet would be nice.' He thought to himself as he watched the model's throw insults at each other, all while smiling prettily.

Enough was enough. Excusing himself, he left the crowd that had gathered around them and walked with determined steps towards to back of the hall.

The kitchen exit was in the far corner of the room. Casually he pretended to admire an ugly painting, but as soon as a waiter opened the door, he sneaked in. On the other side were a short, red painted corridor leading over to a pair of steel doors. Pushing them open, he was met with an almost overwhelming wave of noise. Waiters were running all over the place, chefs were calling out orders, plates were clinking together and pots slammed. He got a few curious looks but no one tried to stop him as he made his way through the crowed.

The green 'exit' sign seemed like an oasis in the middle of the desert and he hurried towards it.

The steel door of the fire exit gave off a low screeching noise as he opened it, stepping out into a dark, dirty ally. The door boomed loudly as it closed behind him. He took a deep breath of the cool evening air, taking a second to relax. Unfortunately, he knew that he could not linger.

By now, at least half of the kitchen personal had alerted the media and it wouldn't take long before the vultures would be over him.

He looked down at his expensive tuxedo. There was no way that he would be able to blend in while wearing it.

He shrugged off his suit jacket and hung it over the back of a cheap plastic chair standing next to the exit. Considering the amount of cigarette butts lying around the chair, some lucky smoker would find it soon enough.

The night was pleasantly cool and he rolled the sleeves up to his elbow and un-tucked the shirt. His silk fly landed in a pile of broken bottles and he unbuttoned the collar with a relieved sigh.

He was very tempted to leave the heavy award in one of the trashcans, but he knew that Marty would kill him if he did.

Instead, he looped his fingers through the metal woman's arms, letting her dangle along his side. With that, he started walking with quick steps away from the building, not wanting to be found out by some nosy waiter with a camera phone, or even worse, a paparazzi photographer. He could just imagine the headlines 'Superstar found stripping in ally after award show, sources suspect mental break down.'

That really was the last thing he needed.

He hurried his steps several blocks before he felt safe enough to slow down. The expensive shoes that his stylist had more or less forced him to wear was making his feet ache and he cursed fashion designers to the seventh circle of hell.

Just then, salvation came in the form of a black car with a glowing yellow sign on the roof.

"Taxi!" He called out, waving the golden statue over his head.

The black car hastily changed lanes and screeched to a stop next to him.

Wufei was pleased to see that the windows were dimed so even if they drove past a whole army of photographers, he would be safe. The door opened easily and he ducked inside. He sank down on the worn leather seat with a relived sigh.

"Where to?" A male voice asked.

Wufei rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to go back to the hotel that most likely would be surrounded by hundreds of screaming teenage girls and he sure as hell didn't want to go back to the award party. No way.

"Drive, just drive for now." He mumbled as he dropped the award down on the seat next to him.

"Sure thing, boss." The amused sounding driver responded as he steered the car out into the passing traffic.

A slow, heartbreakingly sad song started playing softly on the radio, fitting his mood perfectly. The woman sang about broken hearts and lost love. Wufei didn't have a broken heart, or even a lover but he felt stretched too thin, like his entire soul was about to shatter from the strain.

"You look like you've had one hell of a night." The driver remarked kindly.

Wufei gave the discarded award a glance. "You could say that." He sighed.

They drove silently for a while and Wufei once again found himself leaning against a car window, looking out at the passing world. Neon lights were shining brightly from all the houses, as they drew through the flashy business part of the city.

Wufei exhaled shakily. He suspected that he was going through an identity crisis or something. He didn't know where he was going and he didn't know what he should do. He was so fed up with the music world and all the shallow people who were running his life.

As if to haunt him, his latest single, the one that had just won him the award dropped carelessly on the seat next to him, started playing on the radio.

"God damn it!" The cab driver cursed angrily.

Feeling slightly curious he lifted his head off the glass and turned towards the still cursing man. "What?"

"Nothing, I just hate this fucking song." The man growled as he glared down at the innocent looking radio.

Feeling more than a little amused, Wufei smiled as he watched the cab driver's angry expression in the rearview mirror. No one he had ever met had said anything but great things about this song. At least never to his face. "So why don't you just change that station?"

"I can't!" The driver growled in frustration as he fished up a long braid from behind his back, letting it land on his chest. "It's gotten stuck there. I can't change the channel, I can't turn it off, I can't even change the volume."

Wufei chuckled. "Well it's not that long, it should be over soon." He said as he listened to his own voice get to the refrain.

"That's what you think." The driver said with a snort. "But the truth is that this song doesn't just go on forever, it will start playing again within an hour or two."

"Really?" He hadn't known that it was so popular.

"It's hell on earth I tell you. And even if you're lucky and you don't have to listen to it again, then the damned thing will get stuck on your head and you will find yourself singing 'free among the clouds' and 'for your love I will fight' over and over again. I swear, if I ever run into that 'Dragon' guy, I'm going to punch him in the face."

The irony was just too much and Wufei felt himself laughing for real, for the first time he could remember in a very long time.

"I see that you don't believe me. But if you'd been stuck in this car, hour after hour, day after day with that guy's worthless songs playing over and over again, then you would want to punch him too." The cab driver told him sullenly, but his eyes were smiling.

Wufei fought down his laughter with great effort. "You do know that it's not the Dragon's fault that the radio stations keep playing his songs, right?"

"No but he made them, that's enough." The driver snorted. "Just listen to this… 'won't you be my ladybug, walk across my skin and fly away to mystic lands' I mean, what the fuck?! The guy must be on drugs, that's the only explanation." The driver huffed as he carelessly changed the lane, making some pissed off driver behind them honk angrily.

Wufei chuckled. "I think he's referring to the myth that if a ladybug lands on you, your wish will come true."

Blue eyes rolled in the mirror. "I still think that the drugs are more likely. Then, there's that part where he goes on and on about staring into his lover's eyes. Come on, seriously. Do chicks actually get off on that kind of shit?"

Wufei snorted. He knew that they did. He had fanclub to prove it. "No one ever accused teenage girls of having taste."

"That's true." The man laughed. " You want to know what I think?"

Wufei turned in his seat. "What?" He asked, leaning forward against the passenger seat.

The driver gave him a twisted smile. "I think he's gay."

Wufei gapped in surprise. He had been so damn careful, not even his manager knew about his sexuality. No one had ever suspected, not even the tabloids had ever even hinted at it, so how come this 'cabdriver' of all people managed to see what no one else had. "W- What makes you think that?"

The driver gave him a hard look. "What? You're a fucking homophobe or something? Because if you are, I'm stopping right here and you can walk to where ever you're going."

Wufei raised in hands in his defense. "No! Not at all, I'm- um."

The driver smiled, leaning back as he met Wufei's eyes in the small mirror. "You're gayer then a musical on Broadway."

Wufei choked out something like a laugh. "Kind of."

"Well then, you're one of the gang then." The driver replied happily as he flipped off an angry bus driver that he had managed to piss off by almost running him off the road. Wufei was very happy that he was used to reckless driving from when Heero used to drive him. "So, as I was saying. That singer guy, 'the Dragon' or whatever it is he calls himself, he writes his own songs, right?"

Wufei nodded. Like he would let himself be another one of those brainless pop singers who just repeated other peoples words.

"So, in all his songs, he used- what's it called, when you talk about something while you mean something else?"

"Metaphors?" Wufei guesses, leaning in closer to his driver. He felt his curiosity rise. The long haired driver was interesting and funny, not to mention nice to look at. Wufei couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun.

"That's it, metaphors." The driver grinned towards him before turning his eyes back to the road. "So he never really says what he really means, like it's a habit to always watch his words."

Wufei opened and closed his mouth, unable to find a single word to say.

"He almost never says something like 'I love her' or 'I want to kiss her' it's always 'I want to kiss those sweet lips' or 'I love you my summer wind.' He throws in a few 'she' and 'her' every now and then but the whole thing just feels like they have been put there after the song was done, you know?" He smiled like he had cracked a big secret, and in a way, he had.

Wufei couldn't have felt more exposed if he had been sitting there in the nude.

"Not to mention." The blue-eyed man lowered his voice with a teasing smile, making Wufei lean even closer to hear him over the sound of the radio and the passing traffic. "That his voice is very gay."

Wufei tipped his head back and laughed. "You thought -I- was straight at first and I'm right in front of you."

The driver shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, well you could pass for a straight guy, no offense. But he sure as hell couldn't."

Wufei pressed his lips together in amusement before responding. "Ah, well I guess I just have to bow down to your superior knowledge."

"You should, I have to listen to the guy everyday, over and over again." He sighed long and hard as if to really share his suffering. "I tried to get someone to fix the radio but they won't touch it until the scheduled repair." He honked angrily as he was cut off by another taxi.

"Yesterday they had one of those special shows where they played all his older songs." The man took a shaky breath, like he was about to break out in uncontrollable tears, making Wufei snort in amusement. "It was torture! I had totally forgotten just how many of those songs he made over the years. The show went on for _three fucking hours_!" He howled like he was in physical pain.

Wufei couldn't help but snickered at the man's agonizing cry.

"It would be one thing if they all sounded the same, like all the other singers are kind enough to do, then you can just let it turn into this annoying background noise. But no. Not the dragon. He had to go all creative and make songs that forces you to pay attention."

"That does sound like a pain." Wufei said as he fought to hold back his laughter.

"It is, it really is. The worst part is that the worst songs always end up on top of all the lists. How many of those hits have been on the top ten? Ten?"

"Thirteen." Wufei corrected automatically.

The driver lifted an eyebrow. "What? You're like a fan or something?"

Wufei shrugged in embarrassment. He was actually pretty proud of all those hits. They were kind of like a 'up yours' to all the assholes that thought that he wouldn't make it. "I have an eye on the music world." He answered vaguely.

The driver smirked. "Oooh, I think we have a closet Dragon fan in the car."

Wufei rolled his eyes. "Would that be so bad?"

"Yes." He stated, giving Wufei an obviously fake glare. "One should not sink so low as to listen to that pointless drivel."

"Yes sir, if you say so."

"I do say so." He stated. "Now if you want good music you should listen to Joe Davis, The Q-street band or Mary Will. Those are the real musicians."

Wufei smiled at the list of old timers that were presented to him. The driver looked far too young to be listening to music that Wufei's grandfather used to listen to when he was in his teens. "I was always fond of Mary Will, she had quite the voice."

"Hell yes." The other man agreed. "That voice is so damn sexy, this coming from a gay man and if that doesn't just say it all."

Wufei grunted in agreement.

"They just don't do music like that anymore." The driver sighed.

"They sure don't." Wufei sighed and picked up the statue, turning it over in his hands. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with it. Award after award, it meant nothing. Mary Will probably never got a single award in her life.

Maybe he should start doing what Relena always did with her awards. Put it in a box under the bed.

It looked like some kind of cheap plastic ornament. Maybe he should put it in his aquarium and let algae grow all over it. Wufei snickered at the thought.

"So, what's that?" The man said as he slowed down in front of a red light.

Wufei shrugged, tipping the thing back and forth over his knee. "Just some junk I got."

"Kind of looks like one of those music award things, only a lot uglier, no offense."

Wufei laughed. "None taken, I didn't really want it, but I couldn't say no."

"Present from the family?"

"Thank God no. A colleague gave it to me, clearly thinking I would like it."

"Any idea where she got it from? My little sister would freak if she got one for her birthday."

Struck by a sudden inspiration, Wufei leaned forward. "Here, take it." He said and dropped the statue down on the passenger seat.

"Seriously?" The man asked, glancing down at the golden award.

"Yeah, but you should probably change the metal plate on the front because right now it says 'Male artist of the year.' You could change it to 'sister of the year' or something."

"She would love it, thanks."

Wufei leaned back, feeling lighter and happier without it. "No problem, it saves me the trouble of trying to find somewhere to put it."

"So what if that colleague of yours decides to drop by, then what will you do?"

'Kick her out' Wufei thought to himself. There was no way he was going to let that diva into his home. "I'll tell her that someone broke in and stole it."

"Nah, don't do that. She might buy you a new one."

"Well, I'll deal with it then." Wufei laughed because the chance that he was going to get another one next year was pretty big, if Marty had his way.

They drove in silence for a while. Wufei felt himself slowly unwind and a soft smile made it to his face. For a moment, he felt content.

"So, business or pleasure?" The driver asked.

Wufei sighed. "Business."

"Yeah, I had a feeling that you rather wanted to be anywhere else but here."

"Something like that, I didn't come here voluntarily but my…" He hesitated for half a second. "Boss kind of forced me to go."

"And you weren't all that happy about it." The other man chuckled.

"Far from it." Wufei snorted. "I just hate rubbing elbows with the 'right' people, you know?" He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the passenger seat in front of him. "Not only does it make you feel like you are the biggest scam around, but the right people are for some reason also the most boring, stuck-up people around."

"Any eye candy to look at? That would always be something."

"One or two." He admitted. It was hard to ignore that you were walking among the people who made the top hundred most attractive year after year. It was also hard to ignore how people treated you when you were on that list. Marty had almost peed his pants in happiness when Wufei made the top five last year.

"There you go, think positively. Pretty boys always makes the work days go a little faster. A little subtle flirting and suddenly it doesn't feel so bad anymore." The man leered.

Wufei tried to imagine flirting with Treize Khushrenada or Zechs Merquise. If anyone caught him, he would never get to live it down. Marty would kill him, not to mention that the tabloids would make his life miserable. He rather not risk that, and was forced to suffer the boredom. "I wish, I would get hell if I was found out."

The driver glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "You're in the closet?"

"Not by choice, but yeah." He sighed.

"You poor bastard. I totally recommend being out."

"If I could, I would." Wufei confessed. "Anything to make all the brainless, silicone blondes stop draping themselves over me."

The driver laughed, loud and liberating, making Wufei tingle in happiness. "I repeat, you poor bastard."

"Yeah, just today on of them tried to get me in bed with her, never mind that my 'date' was standing next to me."

"Seriously?" The blue-eyed man grinned teasingly. "Someone is popular, you rich?"

Wufei shrugged awkwardly. "Something like that."

"Then you really should come out." Smiling eyes looked at him up and down in the rearview mirror. "Rich, good looking and out, guys will throw themselves over you."

Wufei gave him a look in disbelief. "Would you seriously do someone who was just after your money?"

"Hm, you have a point." He said, tapping the steering wheel. "But on the other hand, I wouldn't know. The day people try to get into my pants because of money, is the day I go to jail for robbing a bank. "

Wufei laughed, but his good mood was cut short as his phone started ringing. He didn't want to pick up but when he looked down at the number, he realized that it was Trowa who was calling. The man only called when he felt that there was a real emergency.

"Yeah?"

"We need you back here." Trowa's emotionless voice told him. "They called from the label, you are getting sued for plagiarism."

"What?! Why?"

"They claim that parts of "Lady bug" is stolen from a rock song written last year."

"I don't even listen to that shit." Wufei groaned. "Damn, I'll be right there – no, tell me a good place to pick me up and I'll get there."

Wufei repeated the address he was given to the driver who did a highly illegal U-turn.

He hung up the phone with a tortured groan.

"No need to ask if you got some bad news."

"No, no need at all." Wufei mumbled from behind the hands he pressed against his face. "We are getting accused of stealing, but I know for a fact that we are innocent. The problem is just how the hell I'm going to prove it."

"Huh, bummer."

They drove in silence. Wufei tried desperately to think of a single rock song that was made in the last few years, but he drew a complete blank. There was no way he could have stolen anything from a song that he had never heard. He was woken out of his thoughts as the driver announced that they were there. He slowed down in front of an old bench, standing a bit crookedly on the sidewalk.

"Should I stay with you until your friend gets here?"The braided man asked, eyeing that graffiti covered walls.

Wufei shook his head. "Naw, I'll be fine. But thanks." He handed his credit card over and waited for the driver to charge him.

The man turned in his seat and Wufei could feel his breath catch as he was given a bright, happy grin. "Well then, I can only hope the rest of your day will not be as bad as you apparently think it will be. Not to mention that I hope you enjoyed our long sightseeing."

"I did." He replied faintly. "Maybe we'll see each other around."

The man's grin got impossibly wide. "Who knows?"

Wufei nodded and as he climbed out he took a closer look at the drivers license displayed on the dashboard, especially the name written at the bottom. Duo Maxwell.

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AN – So what did you think? One too many of this cliché or did I manage to write something worth reading? Please tell me. I would be very happy if you did.


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

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One year later.

Wufei hesitated with his thumb on the call button, unable to decide if he should do what he had been thinking about doing since he woke up that morning.

His day had been just one long nightmare of interview after interview where he answered the same questions over and over again, but the only thing that had been on his mind was that he was once again back in Duo's city.

He was tired, he was lonely and he wanted someone to put his situation in perspective.

It had been over a year since he had met the eccentric taxi driver, but he had been on his mind every day since then. For reasons that he could not explain, Duo had made a huge impact on his life. It wasn't just the fact that Duo hated his music, something that made him work even harder on his songs, it was something else. Like a connection between them.

Duo had woken him up, shaken him around before dropping him off somewhere new. Leaving him hocked on the feelings Duo gave him.

He knew that the chance that Duo would recognize him if they met again was next to non-existent. He very much doubted that he had left such an impression on Duo that he would recognize him among all the thousands of costumers that traveled with him. It was ironic, that the only time that he wanted to be recognized, he most likely wouldn't be. He was going to have to take that chance. Because he just really wanted to see Duo, even if he wouldn't remember him.

He pressed the call button.

The signal only went out once before a cheerful female voice answered. "Central City Taxi Drivers. How may I help you?"

Wufei awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Um hi, I was wondering if I could request a specific driver."

The sound of clattering keypads could be heard over the phone line. "I'll see what I can do. What driver did you want?"

"Maxwell, Duo Maxwell."

"One moment sir."

Wufei nervously bit his thumbnail while he waited.

"Maxwell is in the south part of town at the moment, when and where would you like to be picked up?"

"Hotel Walter, in an hour." He answered instantly.

"Very well sir, he'll be there."

"Thank you." He mumbled, hanging up in the middle of the woman's speech where she thanked him for using their services.

An hour should be enough to sneak out of the hotel unnoticed. He didn't know this city very well, but he could find his way to the hotel where he had stayed with his mother a few years ago.

He rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants legs, feeling unbelievably nervous. Like a kid on his first date.

He felt absolutely ridiculous, but he could not get the smile off his face.

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His heart was pounding as the familiar black car slowed to a stop in front of him. He reached for the door handle, opening it in what felt like slow motion. He got in.

"Hey, well if it isn't the closet Dragon fan." Duo smirked as he twisted around in his seat, leaned his elbows against the seats.

"I'm not." Wufei replied playfully as he closed the door behind him. Happy didn't even begin to describe how he felt when he realized that Duo recognized him. It felt like the cloud had opened up, letting through the sun, just for him. It had been a long time since he had been recognized for being Wufei instead of the Dragon. Too long.

"Yeah, yeah. So do we have a destination this time or are we just driving?" Duo asked as he turned to the weal.

Wufei leaned back against the comfortable leather seat. "Just drive."

"Just driving it is, closet fan."

Wufei snorted in amusement as he put his elbow up against the edge of the window. "I guess that I don't have to ask if you enjoyed the Dragons latest album or not."

Duo groaned like he was in pain with a palm pressed dramatically against his chest. "Don't even talk about it. The singles that they have released are even worse than the old ones."

Wufei didn't know if he should feel insulted or amused. He settled for amused. "Oh really?"

Duo gave him a look over his shoulder. "You want to know what I think?"

Wufei leaned forward so that he could see the other man better, circling the passenger seat's headrest with his arm. "What?"

"I think the Dragon got laid."

Wufei startled into laughter.

Duo grinned. "Someone shoved their cock so far up the Dragon's ass that the guy can't do anything but spew up sugar sweet love songs."

Wufei bit back the instinctive responds 'I wish' and responded with an unintelligent noise.

"His old songs are all non-specific, like none of the songs were about a real person. But these songs… how many singles has he released, four, five? "

"Three." Wufei cut in.

"Closet fan." Duo teased. "The three latest songs just feel like they are all about the same person, you know."

Wufei nodded in surprise, impressed once again by Duo's observation skills.

"For one thing he never mentioned the color of anyone's eyes before and the latest songs are all about some blue eyed 'girl.'"

Wufei looked into Duo's dancing blue eyes and nodded.

"Then there is the whole thing with the hair. He ether has a hair fetish, or the guy who's fucking him has long hair."

Wufei glanced down at the long thick braid that was resting against Duo's chest. "The hair thing?" He asked. He couldn't remember singing a lot about hair, or maybe he had.

"Well there is one song where he sings about 'your soft strands against my skin' and then there is that other song where he sings about how his love should wrap 'her' hair around him and hold him tight." Duo rolled his eye. "He's so damn sugary sweet, it's a wonder that all his fans aren't diabetic by now. Then, in the last song he goes on and on about wanting to climb up the glass tower by 'her' braided hair." He took a hold of his braid and dangled it in front of Wufei. "Take it from me, if anyone tried to climb up my hair, I would kick their fucking ass."

Wufei laughed, feeling the stress leave his body as he soaked in Duo's attention.

"I never thought I'd say it, but I miss the Dragons old songs." Duo pouted, speeding up as the traffic light started to change.

"Really?"

"Yeah, at lest you could ignore them a little bit, the new ones are heart-tugging and honest which makes them impossible to fit into the background. It sucks." Duo grumbled.

Wufei felt incredibly proud at the backwards complement.

"I'm sure he would be happy to hear you say that."

Duo snorted. "The Dragon can kiss my fucking ass."

'Don't mind if I do.' Wufei thought to himself. "So, did your sister like the statue?" He asked, trying to change the subject before he said something to expose himself. For some reason, he had a feeling that Duo wouldn't be all that happy if he realized just who he had in the back seat.

"Yeah, she loved it. I did as you suggested and got a new plate for it. I even got one with her name on it." Duo snickered with a large, slightly evil grin on his face. "Mom on the other hand wasn't all that happy because after that, Hilde – my sister, started singing a lot more than before. She's going to be a superstar, she says." Duo snorted fondly. "Unfortunately, she really can't sing and mom is going out of her mind having to listen to her."

"Maybe she should take classes?"

Duo shook his head like it was the worst idea he had ever heard. "No way, then she would get even more into it. Hopefully she will get bored with it soon. Like she did with the acting dream and the veterinarian thing."

"Shouldn't you be a supporting big brother?" Wufei asked.

"I could, but Mom would make me regret it, she hasn't even forgiven me for getting Hilde the statue yet. I don't really need to suffer since I don't live at home anymore and when Hilde starts to singing Dragon's 'Tremendous' and 'Ladybug,' I just run for it. Mom on the other hand has to listen to all the ballads and pop-songs being sung over and over again."

Wufei chuckled. "Sounds like when I started learning to play the guitar, I only knew two short pieces from two different songs. I played them non-stop for God knows how long before Mom got a friend of hers to teach me. She still to this day can't listen to Mary Will's "Rainbow Road."

"Oh man, I love that song." Duo hummed the refrain over the sound of the upbeat pop song playing on the radio.

"_Don't you step up on that road, in the end there is no gold. Love will come and love will go, but don't you step up on that road_. " Wufei sang along, careful not to take on that emotional, tenor voice he used when he usually sang.

Duo gave him a happy smile that warmed him like no standing ovation ever had. "Hey, you're pretty good."

"Thanks." Wufei mumbled, for some reason feeling shy.

"Did you see that documentary about Mary Will that they showed on TV a few days ago?"

"Yeah, it was great wasn't it?"'

Duo made an agreeing noise as he flipped off another cab driver. "It totally sets a new spin on that song, doesn't it?"

"That it does."

Duo sighed sadly. "I don't know how she did it. She spent more or less her entire life with the woman she loved and she never did or said anything."

"It's sad, but in that time, god knows what people would have done if they found out." Wufei echoed Duo's sigh. "Not that it's perfect today. Hell, just look at me, I'm almost thirty and I'm still in the closet for everyone besides my mother and her new family."

"And me." Duo cut in.

Wufei smiled. "Yeah, and you."

"Someday I'm going to visit her old house. I heard that they turned it into a museum." Duo told him.

"They have, I was there a few years ago, my mother lives just an hour away from there."

"Your mother lives in Germany?"

"Yeah, she and her new husband moved there about ten years ago."

Duo gave him a look over his shoulder. "Don't you miss her? It's not like you could just drop by for dinner."

Wufei shrugged. "Well yeah, I miss her but we see each other a couple of times a year. "Not to mention all the phone calls and the emails. He most likely had quite a few new ones in his inbox. "I'm pretty busy and so is she. We see each other for the bigger occasions like birthdays and Christmas. It works."

"Man, I could never do that, or more likely, my mother wouldn't stand for it. She would go nuts."

"Over protective?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. She's gotten really paranoid from work and she always believes that the worst. She's a nurse over at the hospital and she gets to see a lot of bad shit. I swear, one of my biggest nightmares as a teenager was to hurt myself while drunk so that I would have to the emergency room and be meet by her in the door. That's probably why I ended up being a taxi driver, I was always the certified driver." Duo chuckled. "Now that I think about it, I've been a taxi driver since I got my license, the only difference is that I get paid better now and there are less vomit to clean up."

Wufei snickered. "Are you sure you don't have to clean up one or two? I have to say that ridding with you isn't the gentlest thing in the world."

Duo leered. "Oh I can be gentle, but ridding with me is always a wild thing. I can take you places fast and hard or slow and smooth. Just let me know, I take requests."

Wufei swallowed awkwardly. He wanted to take Duo up on it, but he held himself back. Duo wasn't the type of guy who you had a one night stand with, he was the type that you took along to meet your mother. But he had no room in his life for relationships and Duo sure as hell wouldn't want to date him if he found out just who he was. Sometimes life was just so unfair.

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It took three months before Wufei cracked and accepted to sing at some spoiled sixteen year olds birthday party just so that he would get a chance to see the man who was quickly becoming the most influential force in his life.

"Hey, welcome back closet fan." Duo greeted him as he quickly slammed the door behind him.

"I have a name, you know." Wufei smiled as he leaned back. In the corner of his eye he could see the photographer who had been following him walk straight past the car.

"And that would be… what?" Duo asked as he started the car and glanced at the passing traffic in the side mirror.

"Wufei Chang."

Their eyes meet in the review mirror. "Well then, nice to meet you Wufei, I'm Duo Maxwell."

"I know, it's right there." He said, pointing at the dashboard.

Duo laughed lightly as he found an opening in the traffic and stepped on the gas. "Ah, you got me there." The car raced forward, changing lane smoothly, uncaring of the heavy traffic. "It's nice to see you so soon."

"Yeah, you too." Wufei relaxed as he let Duo's comforting presence wash over him.

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Wufei bit back a sigh. Why did he do these kinds of things to himself? Or more accurately, why did Marty do these kinds of things to him.

He had been invited to a lot of Christmas eve parties but he chosen Adrian Brady's party to be the one he actually attended. The man had directed several of his music videos but Wufei had never really spent any time with him. The guy wasn't all that bad, a bit stuck up and a bit too convinced by his own genius creativity, but still a pretty nice guy. Who lived in Duo's city.

Not that it made any difference where the party was at, they were all the same.

Only that this party was turning out to be worse then he had expected. Not only did it feel like all the females were out to get him, it was also just his luck to end up next to the only openly gay man at the party. A man who wasn't just an idiot, he was a drunk idiot.

He was once again telling Wufei the story about when Marilyn Manson sucked him off. Then, he went on, telling him all about the bondage games Manson and his crew would get into at their parties. Wufei just really did not want to know, he really didn't.

His dick said otherwise.

Damn, he needed to get laid. The last time he had sex was almost two years ago after a concert. And considering that the guy he had sex with was a prostitute, he really wouldn't brag about it.

"So'ya wanna fuck 'r som'then?" The guy slurred, placing his hand high up on his thigh.

Wufei didn't know if the guy knew that he was gay or not, but he didn't really care

For half a second he actually considered taking him up on his drunken offer. But he didn't, instead he shoved the hand off and got to his feet. He might be horny but he wasn't desperate enough to sleep with him of all people. It wasn't that he wasn't attractive because he was, but the guy would sell the story to the tabloids faster than you could say "free publicity."

He started walking, trying to find somewhere quiet. He had to get out of this party, but he didn't want Marty to find out that he had left early.

Duo's taxi company was on his speed dial and as soon he found a remote corner he made his call.

"Central city Taxi drivers. How may I help you?" The by now familiar female voice asked him.

"Yes, hi. I would like to be picked up at…" Wufei had to think for a moment. He really had a bit too much to drink for this level of thinking. "Velvet Street as soon as possible." He didn't bother asking for Duo, the man were most likely spending the day with his family.

"Hey, I know you." She said, making Wufei's inside freeze up. "You're Duo's friend."

"Y-yes." Wufei stuttered out, joy and relief crashing together.

"He's on a break right now but I'm sure he'll pick you up if you want."

Wufei could really need some friendly company right now, but he didn't know if he should. "No, he most likely needs his rest."

The girl snorted. "Like the guy ever rests, besides, I know he missed you. Wait a second, let me get him- DUO! Get your tight ass in here, someone wants to talk to you!"

Wufei flinched, holding the phone away from his ear as she shouted. It took a couple of seconds, then a cheerful voice could be heard in the background.

"What's up?"

"Friend of yours." She said, then there was a muffled sound, like someone brushing against a microphone.

"Damn Linda, this headset is so fuckin- Hello?"

Wufei shuffled his feet, leaning his shoulder against the wall. "Uhm, hey."

"Hey you." Duo exclaimed happily. "You're back in town? Want me to pick you up?"

A couple of drunk, topless women stumbled past him, giggling like mad. Luckily they didn't see him where he was hiding in the shadows behind a huge potted plant. "Please." He whimpered.

"Where?"

"Velvet street, somewhere -I don't know how much is closed off for the party."

Duo whistled, sounding impressed. "Rich people street, yeah I know where that is. Tell you what, you start walking and I'll start driving. I don't have my phone with me but you can call Linda here if you can't find me. Okay?"

Wufei felt himself instantly start to relax. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"I'll see you soon Wufei."

"Thank you." He sighed, deciding that the first thing he was going to do when he got home was to call his lawyer so that he could chance his will. Duo had so earned a few millions and a couple of cars.

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It took longer then he thought to sneak unnoticed out off the house and when he managed, it was easy to find Duo's taxi among all the fancy cars lining the street. The first thing he saw when he opened the door was a grinning Duo, wearing a big, fluffy Santa hat. "Hey Wufei."

Wufei smiled and got in. "Hey, I thought you would be celebration Christmas with the family or something?"

Duo shook his head, making the small bell at the end of the hat ring. "Naw, I got tomorrow off, I'll go see them then. This is the day that brings home the big bucks." Duo shared happily, pushing the bell away from his face. "People get into the spirit of things and tip well, hell, so far I can pay my rent with the tip alone." He started the car up and happy Christmas songs instantly filled the car. "I could say the same thing about you, shouldn't you be in Germany or something?"

Wufei shrugged. "My mother is spending Christmas with her husband and his family. I was invited but I felt like I would be a bit of the odd man out so to speak." Not to mention that his mother had mentioned that his not quite stepsisters were huge fans of Dragon, something that Wufei didn't want to deal with during a family celebration. So in the end, he had just told his mother that he had a few parties that he had to attend, but that he would see her on New Years Eve.

Unfortunately, Marty didn't hesitate to send him off on various parties all over the place. Movie stars, pop singer, music producers, movie producers, music video producers, you name it, they all had a party.

The only party that he had felt like attending, Marty had just about forbidden him to go to. Relena was clearly off limits when she, according to the tabloids, was planning her wedding with Quatre Winner. They could not afford any rumors about Wufei trying to break up the soon to be married couple. Wufei, who had spoken to Relena over the phone just a few days ago, knew that there were no wedding, but Marty wouldn't listen. What the tabloids said was the truth, or at least the truth that had to be followed.

"From the fancy suit, I'm guessing that you're not in town for pleasure this time ether."

Wufei looked down at his spotless tuxedo with a mocking chuckle. "I'm sure as hell not."

"Too bad, everyone should get the chance to- if not relax, have fun."

"I'm pretty good right now." Wufei confessed.

Duo grinned. "Me too."

Wufei relaxed back into the backseat. Marveling over the fact that just sitting here got rid of his stress better then a day at the spa. He decided that this summer, he was going to take a well-deserved vacation and he was going to take it in this town. Duo was going to be able to do much more then just pay his rent with the tip money if he drove Wufei around for a few weeks. With a smile on his lips, Wufei dozed off.

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A few months later, Wufei slid on to the familiar leather seat with a grin. "Hey Duo." It was the first day of his vacation and he couldn't remember the last time he felt so good. He had four weeks off and he planed to spend them right here in the backseat of this car.

Silence met him as the car started to drive. He looked at the rearview mirror but Duo's usually laughing eyes were staring straight forward.

"Is something wrong?" He asked carefully.

Duo sucked in a breath between his teeth. "Get out."

Wufei blinked in surprise. "What?"

Duo slammed the breaks, making several cars hunk angrily. Wufei flew forward and he braced himself against the seat in front of him.

Duo turned in his seat, glaring at him with eyes burning in anger. "Did you have fun?! Did you get a good laugh out of my ignorance, huh?! Did you –_Dragon_-?!"

Wufei crinkled. "Um-"

Duo cut him off before he even had time to gather his thoughts. "Yeah I bet you would find it real funny to see my face when I saw you looking down at me from my little sister's wall. Get the _fuck_ out of my car. I recommend that you start hiring another taxi firm, because if I see you again I will run you over."

"I didn't mean to-"

"Get OUT!"

Wufei just about fell out off the car.

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In a daze, Wufei managed to get back to the hotel. He didn't know how but suddenly he was there. He immediately got meet by flashing lights and screaming fans.

The hotel personal must have seen him coming because it didn't take long before he was surrounded by Heero and the rest of his bodyguards.

Walking blindly, he was led forward by a strong hand on his shoulder.

He glanced up at Trowa who gave him a discreet nod, eyes filled with understanding.

Wufei often wondered just how much Trowa knew and right now he was convinced that he knew every single thing about him.

"It will be okay." Trowa said quietly as they stepped into the elevator.

Wufei watched his miserable reflection in the closing doors. He wanted to believe him but he didn't know how anything would ever be okay again.

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AN

Ops... sorry Wufei. But don't fear, I never write un-happy endings!

So, dear reader. Could you please take a second to leave me a word about what you thought about this chapter? I would be very happy if you did.

_**Psycho Supernova**_ - Thank you! Cute is exactly what I was trying to write! :) _**Sen**_- Yeah, Duo sure is passionate about his Dragon hate. Poor Wufei ;) _**StandingOnTheRooftops**_ - I'm glad you like it. I just heard from my beta and she told me that she would have the first part of Wallflowers last chapter done in the end of the week. So I'm guessing that I can post it on Saturday or Sunday :D. _**ElvenArcher0310**_ - I'm glad you're not finding it too cliché, one should never take it too far. It's a fine line to follow. Too be cliché but at the same time, try to be slightly original... hm, we'll see how well I will manage. _**Peaceful Angel**_ - I'm happy to hear that you liked my cliché version :) I started grinning when you said that you loved that he insulted himself since I had so much fun writing that part. I was just so sick of "the star" always being so perfect. _**Romanec**_ - I hope I spiced it up enough for ya ;) glad you enjoyed the author not, unfortunately, the people who needed to read it probably didn't... as usual :). And indeed, the review button do turn green, isn't that just the coolest thing ever?! LOL _**Mrs. Passionate**_ - Well then I feel honored to introduce you to this spectacular cliché. I do recommend finding more of them, they really are a lot of fun :) _**Sunago**_ - Oh, thank you. It's nice to hear that I managed to get the characters out in a good way. So what did you think about Duo's reaction? Anything like you had imagined? _**jessie145**_ - Glad to hear it :) I hoped you liked this chapter too. _**tsukamei**_ - I hope I managed to keep you interested. Did I? _**pattyard**_ - Sure thing, here's a bit more. The next one will be posted on Friday :) _**princess cythera**_ - Thank you. Yes, our poor little dragon often get's to be the boring normal guy, doesn't he? He needs to get more time in the spotlight! -pets a glaring Wufei- _**snowdragonc**_t - Oh no, I can sympathies. To have your computer die on you just makes you fall flat on your face. Poor thing, I wish I could say something to cheer you up but I'm out of ideas. Oh well, I hope you get your computer back from the other side. I'm glad that I managed to catch your attention with my Superstar!Wufei, I hope you liked how the plot is evolving :) _**Bfly-Ronaldita**_ - Wow, my very own cheerleader... I would ask if I could pet your pompoms, but for some reason, that feels like a sleazy come on :D Oh well, I hope you still like the story, even if I made Wufei feel bad. _**Danielle**_ - Yeah, Wufei is always the bookish boring and clueless guy. It's so much fun to put him in focus for once. Plus, I just love making Duo oblivious :D cough-whatnaturesscrewedup-cough _**roses in bloom**_ - I'm happy that you liked Wufei the celebrity. Doesn't he just seem like the guy who would just accidently become famous for being good at something and then be grumpy over the attention? As much as I love Duo, he just has a habit of always ending up in the center of attention. I hope you enjoyed the plot turn :) _**cyne**_ - Well I hoped the chapter lived up to you expectations :) And more chapters you shall have... next Friday :) _**kidishcaresh**_ - Thank you -blushes- I try to be as original as I can while still sticking to the cliché, it's nice to hear that you though I managed to write something "outside the box" so to say. I'm also really glad you liked the bank robbing joke. I almost cut it out thinking that no one would like it. You proved me wrong! Thank you :) _**Rei**_ - That you're normally not a reviewer just makes it into an ever bigger compliment. THANK YOU. I can only hope that you enjoyed the story line development... even if I made Wufei sad. _**Cristalake**_ - I'm glad you liked it and just because you have been such a great reviewer, and since your glaring about Normal people actually made me write something, I'm going to give you a present. Expect a PM very soon. _**...**_ - Thank you! LOL, Yeah, it's usually the other way around, isn't it? Wufei rants and rants and rants while Duo smiles prettily at the cameras. _**becca-chan'05 **_- I hope you still like where this is going since I kind of... fucked it up for the boys. Ops. _**Kaeru Shisho **_- LOL! Sorry, I think you underestimated my love for making Duo oblivious ;) It's just so much fun. The "Who knows" were actually more of a "hey, since you haven't noticed that I hot for your ass and that I've been flirting with you non stop since you got into the car, I'm going to fool myself into thinking that we will see each other again." Wufei ended up pretty oblivious too since Duo dropped a lot of hints that he didn't even notice. Poor little boys, how they suffer in my hands :D


	3. Chapter 3

Well, I don't know what time it is where you are, but I still have twenty minutes left until midnight. It's still Friday and I kept my promise.

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Chapter 3

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"You can't just lie there, you need to start working on you next album, we have to take advantage of the media attention while we have it." Marty ranted.

Wufei made a disinterested noise to show that he was listening. Whenever a car passed outside, it made shadows dance across his ceiling. It looked like long ghost, stretching out as far as they would go as they chased someone around in a ring dance only to start all over again when another car passed.

"You've had a lot of stress around you lately, I can understand that." The man combed his hair over and over again in a jerky, nervous gesture. "But this has been going on for months now! We have to start producing something or we are going to get behind schedule."

Wufei didn't respond, he just stared. Marty started pacing back and forth in front of the bed. "This is not like you, you always have songs waiting. You need to get that spark back, get out, get laid. Hell, call someone up from outside the hotel and get a tumble. Anything!"

Wufei grunted. It almost bothered him that his manager didn't know him well enough to know that he did not use sex like a rechargeable battery. One would think that after working together for almost ten years, he would realize that Wufei never had sex with his fans or anyone else that Marty would know off.

Marty snapped his fingers like he had just gotten the greatest idea possible. "Maybe we could send you off to one of those celebrity spas?"

Wufei wished that he had a few darts that he could throw at the ceiling. He wondered if he would be able to hit one of the fleeting shadows or if it would just fall back down without even getting stuck. He wondered it room service would get him some if he asked.

"You would come back as a new man, full of inspiration and ready to take on anything." The stylish man went on enthusiastically.

Wufei took aim with an imaginary arrow and throw it at one of the bigger 'ghosts'.

"That would get you back on top, wouldn't it?"

Wufei slowly shook his head. He didn't particularly want to get back on top, he didn't really want to do anything.

"There are a lot of people counting on you." Marty pressed on, trying to use the guilt card. It would usually work, but Wufei really could not find any sympathy in his numb mind.

Marty seemed to sense this and went on. "If we want to get the album done before Christmas we need to get moving. Do you even realize how much money we would lose if all those teenage girls can't put it on Santa's shopping list?"

Wufei couldn't care less about the money. He could honestly not care about anything. He was washed out, stretched beyond his breaking point.

In a way, it wasn't even about Duo. This had been building up long before Duo made an appearance in his life. Duo had just managed to keep him floating for a bit longer. But no more, now Duo was the stone that held him stuck to the bottom of the ocean.

"Get a hold of yourself or I will have you sent to that spa with the druggies. I don't know what's gotten in to you but this is _not _the time. We are slipping out of the media's attention. If we release the album too late it will appear like a comeback and only old people have comebacks. You are not getting any younger, but we need to hold off that image for a while longer. The teen fans are still our number one source and if they start thinking that you are old…" Marty trailed off, waiting for a reaction.

He didn't get one.

"Oh for gods sake Chang, I will not have you ending your career lying flat on your back!"

Wufei tipped his head towards his manager, for the first time feeling something like anger grow in his chest. He was so sick of this evil circle. He knew that there were only one way to break it, but he dreaded to do it. He gathered all the courage he could find, fixing the image of Duo's bright, teasing smile in front of his eyes.

"Marty ."

The sleek man stopped his pacing, looking at him hopefully.

"Get out, you'll get your album."

Marty glared at him, obviously not happy about his rudeness. The man turned on his heal, marching away with his head held high.

As the door slammed behind him, Wufei reached out to grab a hold of the unused pad lying next to his bed. If they wanted an album that got them media attention, he was going to give them one.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"What the fuck is this?!" Marty slapped the lyric notes down on the mixer table in front of him. Wufei barely spared the other man a glance through the glass as he adjusted the microphone stand.

"I do believe it's my latest song."

"It's about a fucking GUY!" His manager screamed, looking ready to rip his own hair out or maybe he would go for Wufei's.

"I'm very aware of that Marty, if you have a problem with that I suggest you quit and go sniffing after the underage wannabes." Wufei replied calmly as he picked up his guitar. The musicians were looking uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to be in the middle of the argument. Wufei was feeling more sorry for the technicians who were trapped in the recording studio with Marty.

"Oh don't you dare." The man hissed, pointing a threatening finger at him. It would have been more intimidating if he had been standing in the same room. "I made you, I got you here and I'm not going to let you throw it all away because you decided to come out off the closet at the TOP OF YOUR CAREER!"

Wufei refused to flinch at the loud outburst. "That is not your decision. In our contract it clearly states that I'm in full control of my artistic process. Not you, not my fans and not the record company. I'm in control."

"You can't do this, it will ruin you!" Marty wailed desperately.

Wufei shrugged, trying to look calmer then he was. He didn't want to destroy his career, but at the same time, he could _not _go on like before. He could not pretend to be someone he wasn't, not anymore.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

One year later.

With tired groan, Wufei fell head first onto his hotel bed. He was still wearing his stage clothes. They were tight, uncomfortable and they smelled, but he was just too tired to care.

Outing himself had in a strange way been both the best and the worst decision he had ever made.

While he had lost a large part of his fans, he had gained another big audience, one that really -_listened_- to his music, not just sang along in the refrain.

One the other hand, the rumors about him had grown wilder and wilder since he released his seventh and most controversial album. It had taken the music world by storm. All the radio stations that wanted to be on the front line kept playing his songs like mad. He had gotten a ridiculous amount of good reviews for the album, not even Barkly from 'Sound Wave Magazine,' who usually hated everything he did had said a single bad word about it. It was insane.

The album had only been out for two months and it had already sold more than any of his old albums. He had been on almost every night show on TV, every music channel had wanted him and gay lifestyle magazines had fought like wild dogs to get the first interview with him. It had been a hectic, draining time and Wufei wanted nothing more than to sleep. He had another concert the day after tomorrow and he had to get up early to catch the plane that was going to take him to the other side of the world.

The sharp signal off the hotel telephone cut through the air. He groaned in reluctance from where he was lying face down on his bed. He didn't want to answer it, but he did it anyway. Damn his good upbringing.

"Hello." He mumbled, half into the phone, half into the madras.

"This is the reception, I'm sorry for bothering you, but your taxi is here."

Wufei blinked in surprise, a weak flame of hope flaring up in his chest. "Taxi?"

"Yes, the driver was… quite insistent. Should I send him away?"

"No!" Wufei throw himself to his feet, almost pulling the phone along to the floor. "Tell him I'm coming."

"Yes sir, he's waiting out back. I would suggest that you don't take the main elevator, we have quite a large flock of wolfs outside today."

"Thank you." He breathed.

"You're welcome, have a nice day sir."

Wufei mumbled a quick thank you before hanging up. Throwing on clean, non-sparkling clothes he ran towards the stairs. He almost bumped into Trowa outside the door. The other man gave him a knowing look. "Ah." He said simply before stepping out of his way. As he hurried along, Wufei had a stray thought. Just how much of his life did Trowa really knew about? He decided not to worry about it, he had more important things on his mind. The stairs ended in the basement; from there you could take a left and go up the stairs at the end of a dark hallway. That would take you straight up into the personal's break room and from there on to the back door. He opened it.

And there it was. Duo's black taxi was almost one with the shadows surrounding it.

Wufei stepped forward and carefully opened the door. "Hi." He said almost shyly as he got in and closed it behind him.

Duo didn't respond, he just turned the key and started to drive.

The silence in the car was almost deafening. It took him a second to figure out why that felt so wrong, then he looked over at the brand new looking radio.

"I got the radio fixed." Duo said stiffly.

Wufei fidget. "Oh."

"It think that threatening to quit if they didn't helped a lot."

Wufei closed his eyes as if trying to hide.

The cab was quiet for a moment before Duo spoke up in a shallow tone. "I bought your album."

Wufei looked up, mouth open in surprise. "You did? But you hate-"

"Yeah, well I still do." He cut him off gruffly. "But what was I supposed to do when you named it 'that' of all things?"

'When Metaphors Are Not Enough' had not only taken the music world by storm, it had taken Wufei off his feet as well. It had been the first time he had felt free to really say what he wanted to say. Wufei had never been so pleased with his own work as when he listened trough the entire album for the first time. He had used all his experience and all his contacts to really give this album all he had. Not to mention, that as the case with most artists, your work was always the best when you were heartbroken.

Duo tightened his grip on the steering weal. "Did you mean it?"

"The songs? Yes."

Duo was quiet for a second, shadows playing over his face as he drove. "Couldn't you just have asked me out?"

Wufei shrugged in embarrassment, not knowing what to say.

They drove past the entrance of his hotel where people were lining the streets in hope of getting a look at Dragon. Signs and banderols were sticking up from the crowed with everything from marriage proposals and love declarations to offers to carry his children. Wufei absently noted that there were quite a lot more males then before he came out.

"Hey Wufei."

Wufei looked over at the other man. "Yeah?"

Duo glanced over at him with a barely there smile. "Want to grab a cup of coffee or something?"

Wufei grinned so hard it felt like his face was going to split. "I'd love to."

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Epilogue.

The reporter took a second to check her make up in a small pocket mirror before the cameraman signaled that they were about to start. She quickly dropped it into her suit jacket before lifting the microphone towards her mouth.

"Welcome back, we are here at the annual music awards where the stars arriving to take part of this amazing show."

She looked out over the red carpet where a steady stream of more or less famous celebrities were passing. "And here we have Summer G, the hot upcoming singer." The camera zoomed in on a skinny blond girl in a tight, red dress. "Summer! A word please."

The girl who looked not a day over fifteen stopped in a stiff pose in front of the camera. "Yes?"

"Hi, Tina Welling from Music World, how does it feel to be nominated for song of the year?" The reporter asked, holding the microphone out.

"It's so cool, when I heard it, I was just like -no- way and my friend as like 'way, the TV just said so.' I just freaked." The girl shared happily, smiling stiffly into the camera.

"That I can understand, especially since you are competing against some of the big names like Arina and Dragon." The reporter smiled innocently, like she hadn't just led the conversation there. "Speaking of the Dragon. It's rumored that you are being taken on by Dragons former manager, Marty Sullivan, what can you tell us about this?"

"Well, I was singing at this beauty contest, because that was like my thing for the talent show part of it." The blond twirled a piece of hair around her finger while leaning on her hip, most likely in a move to look sexy. "And he like _totally_ liked it and introduced me to this music guy who's going to make the music I'm going to be singing to."

Tina pulled the microphone back before the girl could continue. "Would this be Tim Deveron? The producer of 2Much4Y and Bad Dog?"

"Um." The girl gave her an empty look.

"Ah, nothing you can talk about, right?" The reporter asked, clearly trying to make the teen look like less of an idiot. She didn't wait for a responds because by the look of it, she wasn't getting one. "So how is it to work with Marty Sullivan?"

The blond smiled happily. "Marty is just _so_ smart, he like, know all the stuff you need to know to make songs."

"That's great." The reporter smiled stiffly, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Thank you, Summer. " She turned to look further down the aisle. "And look, arriving right now we have Dragon and his much talked about boyfriend, Duo Maxwell. Let's see if we can get a word with him." She said in excitement, totally dismissing the newly rising star standing next to her.

The camera zoomed in on a happily smiling man dressed in an elegant tuxedo.

"Mr. Maxwell! Mr. Maxwell, a word please?!"

The man turned towards the waving reporter, making the tight braid hanging down his back swing.

He walked over to the side of the carpet where the camera team waited.

"Mr Maxwell, Tina Welling from Music World. What do you think about Dragons latest award winning album?" She asked, holding out the microphone in front of him.

Duo smiled happily. "The same thing as I thought about the album before that, and the one before that. It sucks ass."

The reporter blinked in shock and the camera dipped slightly as the cameraman almost lost his grip.

"Y- you don't like it?" She stuttered like she couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I hate it." Duo confirmed with an easy smile.

"But it's about you!" She exclaimed, forgetting her role as a calm, charming reporter.

Duo wrinkled his nose in distaste. "That makes it even worse, but what are you going to do when your boyfriend is a sappy pop singer."

The reporter tried to stutter out another question but Duo was already moving along towards his lover who was waiting for him.

"You're not going to sing at this award show are you?" Duo asked as he caught up to him. "I forgot my ear plugs."

When the Dragon shook his head with a smile, the other man happily linked their arms and together they walked down the red carpet.

The End.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Ah, so that was it. A bit short but... oh well. Now if it wouldn't be too much to ask for, could you please tell me what you thought about this little story of mine? _Please?_ It's my birthday tomorrow and to hear your opinion would be the perfect birthday present :D

(I made up all the artists in the fiction in exception of Marilyn Manson. I just read his and Neil Strauss's book '_The Long Hard Road Out of Hell' _and was far too amused by his reasoning over what a straight man did or did not do, to not put it in the fiction. So yes, Manson does give out blowjobs. I recommend reading the book, it's really good.)

(Sorry for any/all the spelling mistakes. I'm dead tired right now)

_**onyxpetals**_ - I got you some MOAR! :D I hope you liked it and don't feel like strangling me any more ;) _**love2bug63670**_ - Why thank you :) Hopefully you survived the wait. _**Sen**_ – LOL! Thank you. I'm sure that Wufei would have started running from you if you went all fan girl on him :) There probably was a lot of SadDragon!Songs, not to mention LovesickDragon!songs on that album. Duo didn't stand a chance because who wouldn't be flattered by dedicated love songs? ... even if you hated love songs in general. Unfortunately, I can't write song lyrics so we will never know. _**Rei**_- Well I guess I was a bit mean to our little dragon, but surly I made up for it and hopefully people only throw soft things at their computer :) Thank you for your lovely review, it made me all warm and happy. _**Shogi**_ - When you said that he should have just taken him home, I just had this alternative ending flashing through my mind where Duo went kind of crazy. Duo, sick of all the Dragons stupid songs, kidnaps Wufei and locks him in his apartment to stop him from making more of them. There they have a lot of sweaty man sex until Wufei agrees to be his housewife/sextoy. The end ... maybe I should write a pwp version of this? Lol _**Cristalake**_ - aww, sorry, didn't mean to make you sad. Here, have a happy ending, hopefully it will make you feel better. _**Lapis Rane**_ - I like your reasoning so of course there had to be more. :) _**Darkrevenge**_ - It might sound strange, but I was about as surprised as Wufei when Duo exploded. I had this long monolog planned for Wufei where he complained about Marty and some woman who was stalking him then BAM Duo slams the break. The thing is that when I write, I write stuff in shorter parts that I then fit together as I go. So I had already written Duo's blow up part when I started writing Wufei's vacation start. Then I left for work and when I got back and started reading through everything I had written, those two parts ended up next to each other and I read it together. So yes, I was just as shocked as Wufei XD _**Mnmonroe**_ - Why thank you :) Welcome onboard and I hope you enjoyed the fluffy ending :) _**Shiori-Haku**_ - Awww, why thank you :D And lots of love for you too for rewieving :) _**Windwraith**_ – The rest of the boys didn't get much screen time. Bummer. I'll try to get them more involved in my next story. Pinky swear! _**Kanashii**_ _**Kopper**_ – Well in my head, Duo went into his sister's room to tell her to stop singing the same Dragon song over and over again only. He stops short when his eyes falls on her new, glossy poster that's hanging over her bed. On it, a man dressed in tight black jeans and an unbuttoned shirt is leaning against a door frame. He has a cocky smile on his lips and his long, black hair is hanging freely around his face. Duo's jaw drops and he points desperately at the poster while giving out a noise that sounded something like "ghu!" Hilde then happily introduces her brother to the wonder that is THE DRAGON. Duo freaks out and leaves. Then he gets angry, then he freaks out before the anger takes over again… I do believe it went something like that, yes. _**TenshiNanashi**_ – Trowa is a bit freaky as a character because you just never know what he's thinking. And there were no depressing songs! Yay! I'm not all that fond of depressing songs and I sure as hell can't write them. Happy? ;) _**Cyne**_ – Yes, poor Wuffers, but I think he feels better now. Don't you? :) _**Romanec**_ – LOL! I wonder if you were up late this time too. It all depends on where you are. I usually post in the afternoon on Fridays but since I had the evening shift at work today, that wasn't an option. I wonder when you got to read this. I'm a bit curious :) I'm glad you liked the chapter and all their talks. I hope you liked the end too :) _**Psycho Supernova**_ – Why thank you. I'm happy that the cuteness is still going strong. It was probably better that Duo found out from a wall. A TV would have played his songs and then Duo probably would have destroyed it. I don't think his mother would have liked that. _**StandingOnTheRooftops**_ – No, no unhappy endings for me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I wrote one. Especially to my favorite boys. Unthinkable! I hope you liked the ending :) _**Peaceful Angel**_ - Yeah, I think you're right. Wufei probably vents his frustration that way. Especially since Wufei can't be described as narcistic in any way. At least not in this fiction. Wufei really should have told him, yes. But the question is if Duo still would have been angry. Hm. Maybe. _**Blah Blah**_ - LOL! This _IS_ the beta read version XD The original would most likely give you a mental break down. _**Princess Cythera**_ – Thank you! Such pretty words, they make me all happy and fluffy. No sad ending! Yay! Happy ending for everyone! _**Mrs. Passionate**_ -Of course it worked out. If it didn't then I would most likely not be able to sleep. Ever again. I'm a totally sucker for happy endings :D _**Bfly-Ronaldita**_ - No, Duo really can't stand the mushy stuff and he sure wouldn't stand for any hair climbing. bad, bad things would happen to anyone who dared to try. _**Ronin 101**_ – Thank you :) Hm, Trowa didn't get to really do anything unfortunately. I kind of wish that I had given his the chance to do something. The original plan was that he was the one who got them together but I just couldn't make it work without making it seem like Trowa had superpowers... but one the other hand... that would have been kind of cool. Hmmm. I'll just save that thought for later. _**Kidishcaresh**_ - LOL! No, Wufei might not have a sword in this story but that does not make it safe to huggle him... but I would greatly enjoy watching you try :D _**Ah hael**_ - Well that just rocks! XD Thank you _**zer0one_oz**_ - Awwww, why thank you. You say the sweetest things :)


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